Vote YES for Transparency: Shine a Light on Local Elections

As published in the West Windsor Community News, November 2024

This November 5th, West Windsor voters face a simple yet pivotal choice: Do you want to know the party affiliation of your local candidates when casting your vote? If party identification has helped you choose Presidents, Governors, and Members of Congress, why shouldn’t it help inform your local election decisions? We’ve asked this question to thousands of West Windsor residents—Democrats, Republicans, and independents—and their answer is overwhelmingly YES.

Voters deserve to have all the information they need to make informed choices, yet our current system hides critical details. Our local officials, like the Mayor and Council, make decisions that shape West Windsor’s future and directly impact our daily lives. Their values and party affiliations influence these decisions. But under the current nonpartisan system, voters are left guessing. We are voting YES on the public question to bring clarity, transparency, and openness to our local elections.

 A Grassroots Movement for Change

The YES movement, led by West Windsor Voters for Transparency and Representation, is a true grassroots effort. Supported by residents of all political persuasions and spanning generations, this campaign reflects the community’s desire for meaningful change. Over the summer, more than 50 volunteers collected 1,600+ signatures in a matter of weeks, knocking on hundreds of doors in the July heat. The response was overwhelmingly positive—residents are excited about the opportunity to improve our election system and bring it in line with the times.

Partisan Elections Increase Voter Turnout

Neighboring Mercer County towns with partisan elections have consistently higher voter turnout. In 2023, West Windsor’s voter turnout was 26%, compared to partisan Princeton’s 35%. Why? Some West Windsor residents skip voting in local elections simply because they lack enough information. In the absence of personal knowledge about candidates, party labels serve as helpful guides, giving voters confidence in their choices. 

Without party labels on the ballot, and in an era of diminishing local news coverage, voters struggle to find reliable information about candidates. Instead, nonpartisan elections often are more about personal connections to incumbents than the issues that effect residents. This makes it harder for voters to discern where candidates stand on key issues. Without a fact- based policy discussion, nonpartisan elections can generate more unverifiable personal attacks.

Research shows that it’s easier for voters to hold elected officials accountable in partisan elections. Party labels create expectations about what a candidate will do in office, and this makes them more responsive to voters’ preferences. Partisan elections also lead to increased minority representation and greater challenges to entrenched incumbents. We are voting YES to empower voters. 

More Time to Learn About Candidates

In a partisan system, voters benefit from more than eight months to get to know candidates—from the time they file primary petitions in March through Election Day in November. Candidates must compete in primaries, just like those running for President, Governor, or Congress, giving voters multiple opportunities to weigh in on who should represent them. 

In nonpartisan elections in West Windsor, candidates for Mayor and Council don’t file petitions until August, leaving voters just over two months to make an informed decision. With no primary system, any candidate who gathers as few as 200 signatures can appear on the ballot, with no further vetting, no accountability. The current system benefits a small group of insiders who handpick candidates without broader voter input. By voting YES, we can ensure that voters have more time and information with which to evaluate local candidates.

 Primary Elections Give Every Voter a Voice

One of the most misleading arguments made by the opposition is that partisan elections would "exclude" unaffiliated or independent voters from primary elections. This claim is patently false. Under New Jersey law, unaffiliated voters can participate in primary elections by temporarily affiliating with a party at the polls, and can easily revert to their unaffiliated status afterward by filling out a simple form. Unaffiliated voters can and do participate in primaries under this system. 

In fact, one of the opposition leaders, who is currently unaffiliated, has participated in primaries in the past, following this same process. Complaining about not being able to participate while refusing to engage with the process is contradictory. Primary elections are decided by voters, not by party insiders. 

And while county party chairs may endorse candidates, their influence is waning. Andy Kim’s recent victory in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate is proof that voters, not party bosses, have the final say.

Allow Voters to Make Informed Choices

Another baseless claim by the opposition is that partisan elections will cause voters to "blindly vote along party lines." In reality,  party affiliation is just one of several criteria voters use in making their choices. Providing voters with more information helps them make better-informed decisions. Having access to more information about candidates—just as we do at the county, state, and national levels—will only enhance the quality of our elections.

Hidden Partisanship in Nonpartisan Elections

Some claim that nonpartisan elections are free from political influence. In reality, “nonpartisan” processes hide political agendas. Political parties still operate behind the scenes in nonpartisan towns, secretly endorsing and funding candidates. The difference is that voters are kept in the dark about these affiliations, while the parties still exert influence.

West Windsor is no exception. Two of the most vocal opponents to voting YES are  Mayor Hemant Marathe and Council Vice President Andrea Mandel. They hold prominent positions within the local Republican Party: Mayor Marathe helped launch the South Asian Republican Coalition in 2018 and endorsed Donald Trump during his presidency. Councilwoman Mandel currently serves as the president of the West Windsor Republicans. 

These leaders have benefited from the current system, selecting their running mates without any public input. Their party values are clear in their support for controversial decisions. They have championed the development of warehouse and trucking facilities, despite widespread voter opposition. The current system allows them to avoid accountability by bypassing the primary process, thereby excluding voters. They have a lot to lose from this public question, which is why they are fighting so hard against it.

 Nonpartisan Elections Favor Wealthy, Self-Funded Candidates

Campaigns require resources, both in volunteer hours and financial contributions. While both sides have raised funds to support their efforts, the Vote No campaign has received half of its funding from just four wealthy West Windsor residents, each contributing between $500 and $2,000. These donors have strong ties to the Marathe/Mandel administration. 

Nonpartisan elections  favor wealthier candidates who can self-fund their campaigns. Studies show that when candidates don’t have party support, only those with substantial personal wealth can afford to run. In contrast, party support allows for a broader range of candidates to compete, not just those with the means to fund their campaigns out-of-pocket. Our grassroots Vote YES campaign reflects this reality. Our grassroots campaign is not made up of people who can simply write $1,000 or $2,000 checks to fund their own campaigns. 

Vote YES for Accountability and a Stronger Community

West Windsor’s families deserve an election process that respects their time and provides clear, useful information. As issues like overdevelopment, poor stormwater management, and infrastructure challenges continue to affect our community, it is vital that voters have the tools they need to hold local officials accountable. Voting YES will modernize our election process, foster civic engagement, and bring much-needed accountability to local governance.

Our community is rich in cultural diversity, and we cherish the unique landscape and quality of life that West Windsor offers. To preserve and improve our town, we need a transparent electoral process that empowers all residents. Vote YES on the Public Question and help shape a more open and democratic future for West Windsor.

About West Windsor Voters for Transparency and Representation

The Petitioner’s Committee is chaired by Dr. YZ Zhang, former West Windsor Council and WW-P School Board Member, with Dale Lessne, a 38 year WW resident and attorney residing in  Village Grande, lifelong West Windsor resident Sweekrutha “Swee” Shankar, accomplished attorney, Elizabeth Wagner, a charitable giving visionary, Henry Hsiao, a WW-PHSN graduate, resident and Princeton University junior, and James Appenzeller, an entrepreneur and unaffiliated voter. Ben Finkelstein, Willa Inlender, Remi Meehan, and Grace Strom Power serve as the leadership team.